Dek Unu Magazine May 2019 Nicholas Luchenbill

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May, 2019

Nicholas Luchenbill

“Iraq Revisited”

All images ©Nicholas Luchenbill

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Dek

Unu

Magazine

Eleven

This is Dek Unu Magazine. In Esperanto, dek unu means
"eleven." Eleven Images from a single artist. Eleven artists in
eleven solo issues each year.

Dek Unu publishes the work of a new photoartist in each issue.
The artist's work and words are featured alone and in individual
focus as the sole purpose for each issue of the magazine.
Unlike other arts and letters magazines which might look for
work from a variety of artists to support an editorial staffs
theme, at Dek Unu, theme and imagery are always each
artist’s own.

This Month

Since Matthew Brady's “Dead at Antietam” images,
photographers... Capa, Davidson, McCurry...have been
documenting and reacting to war, its action, and its
aftermath. Nicholas Luchenbill makes his photos after the
action, in photomontages that layer memories from his three
combat tours in the Middle East. His art practice is his
attempt to understand his own wounds from war trauma and
to speak to other veterans’ mental health issues.

That such aesthetically-pleasing artworks can grow from
such ugly sources is a tribute to Luchenbill’s artistic vision
and accomplished craft. That his work is employed to help
others is a tribute to his compassion and his ongoing w
mission. UP

Day 25

Day 25 is a collection of images from a day that
my unit spent at a makeshift gun range on the outskirts
of Baghdad. Toward the end of the day, this group of
kids had gathered and it just seemed strange to me for
some reason. They were all smiles and jumping around,
trying to get our attention, running around like goofballs
being silly. I remember we gave them some water and
a bit of food, and then they ran off.

Day 45

Day 45 combines images of a training day my unit had
at the Baghdad International Airport. This was a day where
platoons in my unit practiced some of our basic soldiering
skills such as first aid procedures, hand grenade throwing,
land navigation and so on.

It was one of those days where you just had to get it
done so the officers in the unit could check the box
and say we were trained.

Day 56

These are some of the images I took of the flight line at
the airport. There was always something going on, helicopters
coming and going. Actually, the flight line was a constant
target for sniper fire and mortars. There was never really
a dull moment.

Day 145

These are mostly images of myself taking pictures of
things on my way into work and of inside our shelter
carriers where we kept and monitored the radios.

I spent a good amount of time in a big metal box on top
of a HUMVEE in temperatures over 100 degrees.

Good times!

Day 211

Now, these are interesting. These are some shots I took when I
convoyed down to Kuwait to go home on leave. They stuck 100s
of us in this airplane hangar. There are also some interesting
shots of the time I spent in Babylon. And there are some of the
other historical sites in there as well.

Day 279

I remember this day so well. Now, these images are of a time when I was
stationed on the outskirts of Baghdad at, I think it was, a power plant or
something. It was a very, very small outpost; there were only a
couple hundred soldiers total.

Early in the morning, we just hear this whistling sound over our heads. Then,
out of nowhere, somebody yelling “INCOMING!!!!” And everyone is running
for cover, dashing off to get their kevlar on, you name it.

On a regular day, we took only one or two mortars, tops. But not on this day.
We started getting hit over and over and over. It seemed like it was never
going to stop. I think they said something like over 100 mortars and 30 or so
rockets.

It was pretty crazy.

Day 345

Now, Day 345 is kind of like Day 279. It took place on the
same outpost, but it was a different attack, similar to the first
big one we experienced.

At this point, we were all getting kind of numb to all this.

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Day 356

These are some images of just daily stuff I would
see. Some daily stuff that I would go through.
Convoy over there. Drop stuff off. Convoy back.
Spend 12 hours in a guard shack.

Seeing stuff on fire became the norm.

Day 400

Look at young me giving everyone the finger.
Yeah, that dorky-looking guy in the glasses.

This one combines more images of my travels
throughout the country.

I spent a lot of time driving and sleeping in a truck.

Day 437

Day 437 is even more images of the flight line at the airport
plus our little outpost on the other side of the airport where
we provided radio comms for a small infantry unit. There
were only 6 of us there at any given time. Three men slept
while 3 men manned the radios.

Day 500

This one is special to me because it combines images that
mark both my first few days in the country and some of my last
few days in the country.

I remember our year was almost over and we had started packing our
gear and sending things home. Then, the order came down to
halt all activity and, after a year, we were told we had to stay an
extra 3 months.

Now, I wasn’t mad about the extra time. What really kinda pissed
me off is I wished they had told us before I shipped a brand new
pair of boots and underwear home.

I was like “F@#K” I could have used those.

■»Tl

Artist Interview - Nicholas Luchenbill

Welcome, Nicholas. Complex, deeply-absorbing photography!
Most of these images were taken during my first deployment to Iraq
in 2003-2004. At the time, I just had a simple point and shoot
camera, (I can't even tell you what it was), and I took pictures of
everything Looking back. I was kind of a tourist, just snapping a
picture every 5 minutes Over the years, I started cataloging and
putting them into folders so I knew what was what I think I had over
3000 images at one point So, I had this massive inventory of
snapshots that I knew I wanted to work with But the trick was how to
make them interesting so that people would 1) enjoy them and 2) get
the point that I was trying to make It was really important for me to
represent what I believe happens to memory over time Because I
looked at this project as a sort of letting go of some of those
memories, finally to be free in my mind to be able to come home I
looked at this project as more of a healing journey for me Art made
it possible to talk about some of my experiences to people outside of
my circle

% Nicholas Luchenbill

I am investigating aspects of anxiety and memory and the effects
that war trauma has on certain memories stored in the brain The
images I construct are based upon my perceptions of what
happens when traumatic memories are created and stored in the

brain In my experience memories are consolidated, stacked
and stored on top of one another which results in lost and
fragmented information, often formatted in a skewed sense of
time In this series I use images from my first deployment to
Iraq that are autobiographical, complicating them through
strategies of overlapping, interruption and fragmentation to
reflect the sense of anxiety that is the by-product of being
placed in a war zone

You went straight into the Army after high school?

Yes right after high school The truth is I was never a very
good student in high school And I didn’t know what I was going
to do after I graduated I thought about so many different things
that I could do. but really, the only thing was the Army So I
enlisted and chose to be a part of the Signal Corps as a radio
operator I did 10 weeks basic training at Fort Benmng and
finished advanced training at Fort Gordon After my training
was complete, I was stationed in Germany and deployed out of
Germany twice. Back in the US again I was stationed at Fort
Bragg and. shortly after, I was deployed again After that
deployment, I was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso Texas,
where I currently reside I had a really good career in the
military. I loved what I did And it broke my heart to have to
leave it I would say the way that it influences my photography
is the mindset that there is always another way to see things
because everyone has different experiences.

You retired from the Army after 10 years with disability?
That was a long, long road After my 3rd deployment, things
really started to change mentally for me And when I arrived
at Fort Bliss. I tned as hard as I could to hold on, but I was
toeing the line with suicidal thoughts. Luckily, my chain of
command figured it out in time and got me some help But
after I got the help, they (the Army) gave me a medical
discharge

You teach photography to soldiers. Art therapy?

I do teach photography to soldiers through a program called
"Soldier Art Workshops" but it is not therapy It's just a standard art
class I do stress to them the power art can have, and how it
helped me And how it can help you find your voice if you're having
trouble expressing something For the classes that I’ve taught. I
start with a curriculum but I adjust once I see the skill level and the
needs of those who attend But I have to stress it's not therapy for
legal reasons

How did you get started? Remember what got you hooked?

Yes. I was working in a tattoo shop at the time, after I got out of the
Army, and my boss kept hounding me about how I should go to
school and what I should take to further myself in the tattoo industry
So I enrolled in our community college in El Paso, and I took a class
called “Digital Imaging" That was when I was first exposed to
photography as more of an art form and more of a way that people
can express themselves

Then you jumped from community college to the BFA program
at New Mexico State University.

I was conflicted when I first started the application process for the
BFA program at NMSU Because when you get accepted it adds
time to your degree because you have to take more studio classes
And, at the time. I was still unsure what my end goal was going to
be The BFA is presented as a more prestigious degree plan than
a typical art "major" The students in the program focus more on
studio work, and. at the end of the program, you and your
classmates are required to have a thesis show The thing that I
liked the most about the program was, for the most part, I was set
free to create I could come up with an idea, present it to my
professor, and get told “Go make it happen ."

There weren’t too many surprises; I had done my homework and
asked a lot of questions before I submitted my application To
anyone else interested in the BFA route I would say just do your
homework and ask questions Find out if ifs right for you or not
Then just jump in and keep making work Never stop making work

I really enjoyed my time in academia I was a little hesitant
about it because I was almost a decade older than everyone
with very few shared life experiences So I really felt like a fish
out of water But over time I settled in and really found my voice

5 Nicholas Luchenbill

What's the art environment like where you work? Do you
have a "gang" or are you at it pretty much alone?

El Paso has a really great art scene right now, and it's only
getting bigger. There is a large number of artists in the city.

At the moment I am a member of the El Paso Art Association
I had found the EPAA after some of my work didn't get invited
into a juried show And I really believed in this work so I was
determined to show it somewhere The EPAA has an annual
photography show in the summer, along with like 11 other
shows they mount throughout each year

You have a great eye for composition. Is there other fine
art in your background? Painting? Printmaking?

Yes. I paint as well Not as much as I'd like, but I get to it when
I can I've also been experimenting with some sculpture as
well And this summer I would like to start some printmaking

What about your gear? Cameras, computers, software?

I mainly shoot with my Nikon D7100. and I use an 18-300 telephoto
lens. I process everything on an iMac using Photoshop and
Lightroom Really, really standard equipment

Always digital? Or is there wet darkroom and analog
photography in your background?

Yes ; I've mainly always worked in digital I worked with 35mm and
darkroom procedures while I was in school but outside of that, I
haven't gotten there yet There are plans to start doing some
alternative process projects this summer
Is there a main message that you stress in your teaching?
About art? About artists?

What I have always tried to teach people is to experiment To
push your creativity and your equipment to its absolute breaking
point And to never stop pushing

Anyone who deserves a "thank you" or a special shout out?

I would like to thank my wife Marcia for all the love and continuing
support she gives My children Marilyn, David and Logan for being
a constant source of inspiration And thanks to my sister-in-law

Jennifer Hodges for all of her continuing support and her help
with my academic career. I can’t thank everyone enough It
really does mean the world to me
Shout out to the people that I have direct contact with almost
daily. A few of my closest friends Jarred Cynor, Joshua
Flores, and Katherine Chudy All are also very talented artists
working in photography printmaking, painting and sculpture
They are huge influences on my work. I can always count on
them for good advice I’m really lucky to have them as
friends. I would like to thank my last professor Wes Kline He
really pushed me to be better And I thank him for that Also. I
draw a lot of inspiration from Gregory Crewdson, Ola
Kolehmainen Penelope Umbnco. There are so many!

And your links so we can stay in touch?

t Nicholas Luchenbiil

My website - wwwnicholasluchenbillphotoq ra phvcom
My Instagram - nicholasluchenbill
httDS/Vwww instaaram com/mcholasluchenbill/

Email me: luchenbiil [dot] mcholas [at] yahoo [dot] com

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